Brake-beam



(No Model.)

W. A. PUNGS BRAKE BEAM. 4

No. 444,017. Patented Jan. 6,- 1891.

F|q-| FlC 4-- WITNESSES 1.4 VIM 1'0? a or rzeys.

UNITED STATES ATENT Prion.

WILLIAM A. PUNGS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BRAKE-BEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,017, dated January 6, 1891. Application filed October 13,1890. Serial No. 367,903. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

ie it known that I, WILLIAM A. Poses, a

, citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Brake-Beams; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, looking against the end of one of my brakebeams. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the beam. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the re-enforced end of the beam along the portion which receives the brake-head. Fig. at is a front elevation of this portion. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the beam complete, with the brake-head in place upon it. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the end of the beam. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the complete beam. Fig. 8 is a plan View of the beam. Fig. 9 illustrates a Variation showing means for stiffening and tightening up the beam when it becomes loose or shaky by use.

It is the purpose of my invention to produce a brake-beam which shall be at once simple in construction, strong, and durable,in which each and all of its parts may be readily reached for painting, and also in the provision of means whereby its parts may be tightened up to take up any looseness that may arise by reason of wear.

The invention also has for its purposes the production of a brake-beam in which the usual nuts or the usual welded ends on the trussrods shall be dispensed with, and,finally, the production of a beam which may receive at once the same brake-heads that are employed upon wooden brake-beams in ordinary use.

My invention consists, essentially, in forming the brake-beam of a fiat piece of plate metal pressed or otherwise formed into the form of an auglebar, with flanges at its two edges and stiffening-ribs or corrugations extending lengthwise. The plate is preferably of a breadth corresponding with the usual wooden brake-beam, and is stifiened at the point where the brake-head is attached by a re-enforcing plate, the whole being perforated to correspond with the usual fastening-bolts for securing the brake-head to the beam, and provided upon the face of the beam with a strut or post, and stiffening truss-rods extending therefrom to the extremities of the beam, and with or without means for tightening up the said truss-rods by elongating the strut.

In carrying out my invention, A represents a beam of wrought iron or steel provided with flanges A at its edges.

13 is are-enforcing plate riveted or bolted thereto, one at each end of the beam, to stiffen and strengthen the same at the points where the brake-heads are attached.

G is the brake-head, and the beam A and plate B are made preferably of the usual dimensions of the ordinary wooden brake-beam, so that the brake-head C may be any one of the ordinary brake-heads employed upon the ordinary wooden brake-beams. 'lhese dimensions are of course not essential, for the brakehead may be made specially to fit any special size of beam; but is preferably as explained, so that should a brake-head be broken at any time it maybe replaced with anybrake-head such as is employed with the ordinary beams and which are readily found in any locality. The beam A and plate B are perforated at the proper point or points for the reception of the ordinary fastening-bolts c.

A represents grooves pressed or otherwise formed in the beam or plate A, as above set forth, which not only add stiffness to the beam A, but serve for the reception of strainingrods or truss-rods D.

E is a strut or post, and the straining-rods or truss-rods D extend over this strut and thence to the extremities of the beam. I prefer to head them beyond the extremities of the beam, as shown at cl, so as to avoid the use of nuts, and I prefer, also, to converge them from the extremities to the post or strut, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, whereby they add materially to the strength and stiffness of the structure and prevent any probability of their being detached from the strut or operating to twist the beam. The strut E is provided with an orifice e for the reception of the brakelever. Ipurpose, also, in some cases to employ an adjusting device, (shown in Fig. 9,) the same consisting of a turn-buckle 0', whereby the post or strut may be somewhat lengthened, and so tighten up any looseness or lost motion that may occur in use between the strainingrods and the beam A. I would also have it understood that while I prefer to groove the plate A at A as explained, yet this beam may be made plain and these grooves be formed in the plate B.

Abrake-beam constructed ashere described, it is apparent, possesses great strength and all its part-s are readily accessible to a paintbrush. So, again, should the beam become injured in any of its parts, it may be readily repaired and all of its uninjured parts be utilized.

The plate B is not intended particularly to re-enforec the beam against wear or strain by the brake-head, but to form with the beam a firm bearing for the exterior-headed ends of the straining-rods which pass between the said plate and the beam,the strain being sustained in common by the beam and the said plates B.

'What I claim is 1. A brake-beam consisting of a metallic plate A, having at each end an attached reenforcing plate B, a central strut E, and two straining-rods D, seated between the plates and converging toward each other from the re-enforcing plates to the central strut, substantially as described.

2. A metallic brake-beam consisting of the combination, with a metallic beam A, having flanges A, of two truss-rods and a strut to which the said truss-rods converge at the middle 01": the beam, said strut made adjustable longitudinally, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A metallic brake-beam consisting of the plate or beam A, provided with flanges A and grooves A in combination with a re-enforcing plate and a strut at the middle of the beam, and in connection therewith one or more straining-rods D, substantially as and for the purposes described.

at. The combination, with a metallic plate A, provided with flanges A, of the re-enforcing plate B and one or more straining-rods D, seated in grooves between the plates A and B, said beam at the extremities shaped to receive the ordinary brake-head, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. The combination, with a metallic plate or beam A and plate B, of one or more trussrods D, having their ends clamped between said plates A and B and riveted beyond said plates, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. PUNGS.

Witnesses:

C. J. SHIPLEY, MARION A. REEvE. 

